Hi all!
it's been a while since my last post...
You guys have been a great help a year back when I was trying to bring to life my 1985 klr 600, everything has gone perfectly fine since then... well... almost...
This late summer I started having some problems, on a couple occasions my bike turned off while riding, a few minutes later it restarted without any issue whatsoever...
I assumed it was some sort of poor connection, so I cleaned up all contacts and flooded them with contact cleaner...everything went fine for a couple weeks, until the bike just died...
it's been a few months now and I've finally found some time to inspect the electrical system, I've gone trough every single electrical component and checked all connections with a multimeter... unfortunately the CDI is dead...
Problem is... the only CDI units I can seem to find for 85' KLR600 are NOS and cost waaaaay too much...
I found a cheap CDI box for a klr 650 from 1988 and was wondering if it's compatible with my bike... but I can't seem to find any info anywhere!
serial number for this CDI is: 21119-1214 070000-1700
the CDI from my bike reads: 21119- 1106 070000-1090
if you guys have any suggestions it would be great!
it'd be also nice to know if anyone has any idea of what these codes stand for...
thanks in advance!!!

Thanks a lot for the reply Damocles.
Unfortunately i donít know any klr owner here in italy, iíd love to try an operational CDI box but it looks like it might be tough to find!
The only second hand 600 CDI i could find on the web is 150Ä and the seller isnít sure if it works or not... the other one i was asking about is only 40Ä, iím thinking to give it a try since itís so cheap but iím scared i might brake something if spark timing is not correct...
My main concern is wether there is any difference in stroke, valve timing and flyweel magnets placement between 600 and 650...
if anyone has a repair manual for a gen 1 klr650 that would be a great help to sort out these doubts!

cogliaz, Electricity is my biggest down fall. But there is a member in the UK which is very familiar with the 600's. Ian H

Go to 'TOOLS', go to 'Member List', search "Ian H". Read his threads & postings in others. Send him a message, thru the private message system.
Maybe he can help?

I don't believe the mechanical details of stroke, valve timing or flywheel magnet place will have any bearing on the CDI unit itself.

Have you checked the AC voltage output from the (trigger coil/pick-up coil/pulse coil/crank position sensor) which ever terminology you are familiar with?
Yes the ohms may read 100-150, but we can still use an analog low volt tester to confirm a .2 or greater VAC pulse from it.
I do not know how much VAC one should expect from the large Exciter coil.
The voltages will rise with faster rotation of the engine. So put it in 3rd gear, spark plug removed and have someone rotate the rear wheel.

Spark advance curve may vary slightly between CDIs, but probably not detectably so, in my opinion.

I have a Kawasaki KLR600 service manual, but no KLR650 supplement (I have a Clymer Generation 1 KLR650 service manual, in lieu of the Kawasaki publication). Don't think either has information relevant to CDI replacement.

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Not to put too fine a point on the issue, but . . . I'm unsure of the spark advance mechanism on Kawasaki CDIs. Typically with small engine CDIs, the intensity of the pulse from the pickup coil affects the thyristor switching instant discharging the capacitor and firing the spark plug. At higher rpm, the pulse is more robust earlier in the cycle, consequently firing the spark plug earlier, effectively advancing the spark timing with rpm. A replacement CDI's thyristor's sensitivity may vary from the original, resulting in a different ignition map, but . . . very slightly, I should think.

democles... you fried my brain (just like my CDI) with that last consideration on ignition map
Unfortunately electric is my biggest downfall too... thatís why iím so unsure of what should be done...
Iíve checked the resistence on every single component and connection, the only one that gave a different reading from what the repair manual said was the CDI...
I have not cheched AC voltage nor did I know such test could or should be performed.. although iím pretty sure the exciter coil is no issue, i have just swapped the stator with a functional one.
Iíll certainly go check Ian H posts to see if i can sort things out...
I the meantime, iím really thinking to go for the cheaper gen 1 CDI and hope everything goes well...

I just keyed in "Exciter coil voltage" into the 'Search' screen to the top RH side of screen. I think someone in these threads has measured a GEN1 650 VAC of exciter coil in the past year. But I can't remember which.

The simple thing to remember, voltage increases as generator speed increases. That is why I suggested turning the rear wheel. You will get a repetitive pulse, instead of just one or two.

In my shop, we have a home-made 1/2 inch square driver which can be chucked into a 1/2 inch drive reversible drill motor. Then a socket can be taped to the driver.
We have used it to check compression or even start the old in-line 6 cylinder 2 stroke Mercury outboard motors. Or Johnson/Evinrude V4's.

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